Device for the production of pressure waves in liquids



H. BEGER Dec. 24, .1968

DEVICE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PRESSURE WAVES IN LIQUIDS Filed Jan. 7,1966 INVENTOR. /-//LD "5561 2 United States Patent 3,417,747 DEVICE FORTHE PRODUCTION ()F PRESSURE WAVES IN LIQUIDS Hilde Beger,Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany Filed Jan. 7, 1966, Ser. No.519,218 Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 10, 1965, B 81,393 1Claim. (Cl. 128-66) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A therapeutic bath deviceincluding a tubular distribution member having a plurality of axiallyspaced discharge openings formed on the inner side thereof. Thedistribution member is connected to a blower for supplying pressurizedair thereto, the blower preferably supplying approximately 300 cubicmeters of air per hour at a pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure.The air, in passing through the discharge openings, creates pressurewaves within the liquid for causing a massaging effect.

A device is known for the production of vibrating water, in particularfor therapeutic baths, in which high frequency vibrations are producedsupplying steam or another suitable gas under pressure to one or moremembranes located under the water and provided with very small openings.The provision of such membranes to which steam is applied not onlyinvolves considerable technical outlay, since both means for supplyingcold water and a heat exchange container must be provided, but also hasthe disadvantage that the vibrations produced by means of a membranehave only a locally limited effect. High frequency vibrations canmoreover only produce a vibration effect, not an actual massage effect.

Bubble baths are also known, in which a very fine bubble effect isproduced with the aid of elastic tubes which are provided with a networkof very fine mesh pores. Carbon dioxide, oxygen or even air are fedthrough these elastic tube to the bath, emerging from a very largenumber of very fine holes which automatically close again after theemergence of the small air bubbles. Such a bubble bath is comparablewith the bubble movement in an open bottle of mineral water. A massageeffect cannot be obtained with such a bubble bath.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device for theproduction of pressure waves in liquids, in patricular for therapeuticbaths in order to obtain a massage effect, in such a manner that thesepressure waves and the massage effect will extend over a fairly largearea of the bath.

With this object in view, in the device according to the invention,there are arranged beneath the surface of the liquid compressed airducts which are connected to a source of compressed air and have outletopenings at relatively large intervals which are of such dimensions asto permit the liquid to penetrate into the compressed air channels.These outlet openings can have a diameter of from 1 millimetre toapproximately 10 millimetres. The compressed air ducts thus containliquid or water which is partially compressed by the compressed air atthe individual outlet openings in a series of impulses, so that as aresult of this and of the emerging relatively large compressed airbubbles which, on rising up through the bath, assume a size ofapproximately 2 centimetres or more, pressure waves are produced whichcreate an intensive vibration movement in the water and thus exercise apowerful massaging effect on a human body immersed in the bath. Thefrequency of air emergence from each opening is approximately 3 to 10air bubbles per second, this 3,417,747 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 icefrequency being in inverse proportion to the diameter of the air outletopening.

In order to obtain the pressure waves for the required massage effect,the supply of relatively large quantities of air is necessary, so thatfor example, in the case of a full bath, a volume of 15 to 500 m. /hourcompressed air is supplied. Smaller quantities of air are required inthe case of small outlet openings and a larger superatmosphericpressure, and larger quantities of air in the case of larger outletopenings and a lower superatmospheric pressure.

In order to maintain an approximately constant bath temperature, it isnecessary when large quantities of air are fed into the compressed airducts, to provide a heating device.

A preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described ingreater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a bath with a device accordingto the invention shown in section along the line 1-1 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 2 is a cross section along the line HII in FIG. 1.

In the drawing, 1 denotes a bath filled with water up to the level shownat 2. Beneath this water level, preferably at the bottom of the bath,are located compressed air ducts 3, 4 provided with outlet openings 5which are spaced apart by distances a. In the embodiment illustrated,these compressed air ducts consist of a tubular ring which is insertedin and is adapted to fit the bath and which, in

the present case, is of approximately rectangular shape. The tubularportions forming the longer sides of the rectangle are shown at 3 andthe transverse tubular portions at 4 and 6. This tubular ring ispreferably connected at the foot end of the bath to the lower end of acompressed air pipe 7, the upper end of which is connected to a sourceof compressed air 8. This source of compressed air may consist of acompressor or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1 of a blower. A heatingelement 9 is advantageously inserted in the compressed air pipe 7 inorder to maintain an approximately constant bath temperature. Thecompressed air is heated so as to be fed in to the bath at approximately60 C. when the bath temperature is for example 36 C.

It is further desirable to provide in the compressed air pipe 7, inadvance of the heating device 9, a controllable compressed air outletwhich is shown as a longitudinal slit at 10. The control of this outletcan be effected for example by means of a casing 11 which is movable inthe directions indicated by the arrows A.

The air outlet openings 5 are spaced apart by a relatively largedistance a of for example 15 centimetres. For a normal bath, as shown,some 23 outlet openings in all may he provided in the compressed airducts 3 and 4, which openings preferably, as shown, face towards theinterior of the tubular ring.

The pressure waves required for a massage effect can, as alreadyexplained, be produced with different diameters of outlet opening 5,with different quantities of compressed air volumes and a correspondingpressure. With a smaller diameter of the compressed air ducts 3, 4 ofapproximately 20 mm. and outlet openings 5 having a diameter of 1.5 mm.,the compressed air pipe 7 is connected to a compressor which feeds intothe compressed air ducts a quantity of compressed air of approximately18 m. hour with a pressure of approximately 6 atmospheres aboveatmospheric pressure.

If larger outletopenings 5 having a diameter of approximately 10 mm. areselected, the compressed air ducts 3, 4 have a correspondingly largerdiameter of approximately 50 mm. In this case, instead of a compressor,a multi-stage blower (as shown) may be used, which feeds into a normalbath a quantity of compressed air of approximately 300 m. /hour at anexcess pressure of approximately 0.14 atm. in the compressed air ducts3, 4.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown. Whereas in theembodiment shown, pressure waves are produced throughout the whole bath,i.e. a massage effect occurs which acts on the whole of the bathersbody, treatment of individual parts of the body may instead be carriedout with a correspondingly smaller requirement of compressed air, forwhich only a correspondingly smaller number of air outlet openings andone correspondingly smaller quantity of air are necessary, and also theshape of the compressed air ducts 3, 4 can be modilied to suit the bathsor parts of the body concerned.

It is also possible for the compressed air ducts in the bath beconstructed as integral parts of or to be located in the walls of thebath. The invention can be applied to anything from a small hand-basinto a large communal bath used for movement therapy.

The device according to the invention, enables a pulsing underwatercompressed air massage for medicinal therapy to be obtained, in whichthe massage effect can be regulated according to the quantity of air andthe pressure employed.

The device according to the invention can be used for example as acirculation dehydration bath. It has been shown that, in the case ofunderwater compressed air massage with the aid of the device accordingto the invention with a treatment period of to minutes (full bath), aweight loss (water, fat) of at least 200 grams is obtained.

What I claim is:

1. A therapeutic bath device for creating pressure waves in a liquid toachieve a massaging effect, comprising a tubular distributor memberadapted to be positioned on the bottom of a tub containing a liquidtherein, said distributor member being of a diameter of approximatelymm. and having a pair of side portions extending in substantiallyparallel relationship, said distributor member including said sideportions having a plurality of discharge openings through the wallthereof adjacent the inner side of the member, said discharge openingshaving a diameter of approximately 10 mm. and being axially spaced alongsaid distributor member at distances of approximately mm., the dischargeopenings formed in the one side portion opening toward the dischargeopening formed in the other side portion, blower means connected to saiddistributor member for supplying pressurized air thereto at a rate ofapproximately 300 m. per hour and at a pressure of approximately 0.14atmospheres above atmospheric pressure, said distributor member being ofa substantially large diameter with said disharge opening beingsubstantially axially spaced from one another and said dischargeopenings being of substantially large diameter so as to permit theadmission of liquid into said distributor member, whereby thepressurized air within said distributor member is discharged outwardlythrough the discharge openings formed in said one side portion inopposition to the pressurized air discharged outwardly through thedischarge openings in the other side portion so as to create substantialpressure waves within said liquid.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,699,198 1/1929 Millmather 12866X 2,663,178 12/1953 Schwartz 128-66 X 3,065,746 11/1962 Gregory 128-663,138,153 6/1964 Osborn et a1. 128-66 L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

